Plenty of development going on there between pics : different fairing, front wheel/brake, forks, pipes, shocks. I recall Mick used to love getting stuck into the generic Yamahas on the Jim Lee bikes, and I thought keeping the JL logo on his helmet in the ensuing years was a lovely touch.

Plenty of development going on there between pics : different fairing, front wheel/brake, forks, pipes, shocks. I recall Mick used to love getting stuck into the generic Yamahas on the Jim Lee bikes, and I thought keeping the JL logo on his helmet in the ensuing years was a lovely touch.

The first picture is the bike in its 1970 form, which used Metal Profile Forks and an ex-Rob Fitton double sided Manx brake. For 1971 the bike was heavily updated including the Seeley forks and disc brake (using a clamp round the forks to hold the caliper) and also the distinctive paintwork. The bike in its 1971 form was a seriously potent machine.

I remember Mick Grant turning up at Lydden on that bike in 70 or 71 for one of Bill Chesson's Astra meetings. I think he got a bit of a shock when Ken Lindsey (later to be a scrutineer for the CRMC) rode rings around him for a couple of laps on a 7R. Once Grant got the circuit sorted out he pulled away but it was very entertaining for a while.

Dad (Geoff) spelt with a G not J as in Mick's book machined the disc brake caliper etc. from a solid billet of aluminium, he made three in total. Trivia time! Jim was an ameteur wrestler before frame making, "The Blue Masked Marvel" Chris

By joeninety at 2011-01-14Unfortunately it looked far better than it was, the power plant or not enough power plant was the problem.

Thanks for the interest Chris

A couple of different Ossa powered bikes appeared around that time, they all suffered the same problem. That engine was never going to produce the power that the works bike from a couple of years earlier did and by that time anyway, a single, no matter how good, was not going to be competitive anymore.

Good pics (and stories) Thanks. I have a couple of YR1 motors which are very similar to the TR2B and the road frame is really not very good and very heavy. I think the TR2B used an RD 56 frame but I would think this or a Seeley type would be much better. I have a DS6 too so that is fairly close and would probably fit. They don't fit an RD frame.

Well done!! That's the one - I remember the orange exhausts! Mike moved on to the Yamaha after running Aermacchis, and I think he may have had it for a couple of seasons. Stafford Coulson later sponsored me and my brother Dennis, but the bike had moved on by then and Mike was riding a TZ350. I thought I saw one for sale in Classic Racer during the summer - there can't be many of the Jim Lee bikes around, so maybe it was the same one.

A couple of different Ossa powered bikes appeared around that time, they all suffered the same problem. That engine was never going to produce the power that the works bike from a couple of years earlier did and by that time anyway, a single, no matter how good, was not going to be competitive anymore.

I remember also a couple of Ossa powered machines floating around in the early 70s.

Unfortunately they were based on the MX engine and as I recall, the bike of Santi Herrero was a completely different animal, and as Santi had engineered/developed/rode the GP bike it progressed beyond recognition from what was available at the time, it had the legs on the factory Yamahas of Kent Andersson et al.

After Santi sadly lost his life at the 70 TT, the 250 Ossa fell by the wayside GP-wise, perhaps it had reached the end of its development, who can say now?

I also recall someone building a 500 twin based on the Ossa, another world-beater which never got off the ground due to the twin rocking couple being completely out of sync, was it a Sanglas, or something similar?

I remember also a couple of Ossa powered machines floating around in the early 70s.

Unfortunately they were based on the MX engine and as I recall, the bike of Santi Herrero was a completely different animal, and as Santi had engineered/developed/rode the GP bike it progressed beyond recognition from what was available at the time, it had the legs on the factory Yamahas of Kent Andersson et al.

After Santi sadly lost his life at the 70 TT, the 250 Ossa fell by the wayside GP-wise, perhaps it had reached the end of its development, who can say now?

I also recall someone building a 500 twin based on the Ossa, another world-beater which never got off the ground due to the twin rocking couple being completely out of sync, was it a Sanglas, or something similar?

The Herrero Ossa was a disc valve model, with dry clutch, totally different to the MX engines. The 500 was the 'Yankee' made by Ossa and I believe it was based on two 250 engines married together. It was a road bike but as you say, it apparently vibrated really badly.

Not sure if I got the photo bit right and not entirely sure if this is a Jim Lee frame, but I seem to remember it being. It was a TD2B which I rode in the 74 TT. Could anyone shed a bit of light on whether it might be a Jim Lee frame or not?

Not sure if I got the photo bit right and not entirely sure if this is a Jim Lee frame, but I seem to remember it being. It was a TD2B which I rode in the 74 TT. Could anyone shed a bit of light on whether it might be a Jim Lee frame or not?

Here is another "Jim Lee Design" chassis - this time powered by a Kawasaki triple. It's a one off launched by Paul Dunstall/ Alan Baker in 1970. Later on this bike won a couple of races in the UK (and finished 10th Senior TT IOM 1973).

Looks like a standardish Yamaha, Jim's bikes have an experimental suck it and see look about them and would have probably enjoyed the single spine format, a Jim Lee trademark, the Ossa being an exeption to the rule could be wrong though. Over to you Ben.Chris

Not quite right Chris. The 'Works' Jim Lee frames were quite different eg Spine framed TR2b. These had brazed construction and were top quality. Jim did a series of (relatively) mass produced Yamaha frames which were mostly welded (and cracked badly). Of course there were some variations in these, but I don't think the bike pictured above is like this (not the clearest picture). It has some differences from what I would expect to see around especially around the rear suspension mounts and swinging arm. Jim also produced standard Yamaha replica frames for Padgetts (a couple of small differences eg longer SA). The Ossa was another cheapie frame (welded) and is very shoddy compared to Jim's more serious stuff. By looking at the Ossa frame, it is clear that Jim never intended it to be a serious racing machine - it's a clubmans bike.

Here is another "Jim Lee Design" chassis - this time powered by a Kawasaki triple. It's a one off launched by Paul Dunstall/ Alan Baker in 1970. Later on this bike won a couple of races in the UK (and finished 10th Senior TT IOM 1973).

This bike still exists, it now belongs to a Kawasaki enthusiast in Belgium. The shot shows Graham Bailey en route to 10th in the 1973 Senior

I vaguely remember Dave Littler, only because I grew up a couple of doors from Roger Marshall, when Roger bought his first race bike a TR2B Yamaha it had been owned by Dave Littler at some time in its past.

I also have fond memories of big Mal, through his links with Roger Marshall and through his son Alan, we often used to park up together in the paddock at club meetings when Alan first started racing.

Edited to say.....I assume the hessian sacking wrapped behind the motor on the Commando was the 60's equivalent of the oil catch tray in the fairings of the modern superbikes?

I assume the hessian sacking wrapped behind the motor on the Commando was the 60's equivalent of the oil catch tray in the fairings of the modern superbikes?

Not hessian sack - carpet underlay felt! Osbornes of Douglas sold a mighty lot of it during the Manx, and possibly the TT, it soaks up the escaping oil beautifully.I remember making a 'nappy' that went from just under the carb to under the crankcase for a Goldie which was a profuse bleeder of Castrol R, leaving just a slot for the chain to run through.

I wonder if this pratice of using felt is still allowed by over zealous scrutineers, what with health and safety looking after our every needs. I remember one eagle eyed scrutineer at Cadwell, his armourment included knee pads as used by carpet fitters, a dentists mirror as used by dentists, and a British Standard Approved tape measure used by everyone, just to check the size of yer numbers. Rumour has it he had a Dulux colour chart to check out your fablon backgrounds. What a farce when you consider Grant letting down his front tyre to hide the egg, I once discovered a crack in my Honda frame at the last minute so taped round the crack with black insulating tape utilising a decoy Brut bottle as an additional "breather", job done. I bet a few of you have bent the rules, any stories

Chris

Years ago a mate of mine used black boot polish to hide the cracks in the sidewall of his perished front tyre on an old 250 Ducati and sneaked it through scrutineering

I'm a big believer in the old saying 'The best gamekeepers are ex poachers' and when I did a bit of scrutineering in the 90's I knew exactly what to look for having pulled a few stunts myself in my earlier years.

I hope you all like this video of the Jim Lee Yamaha which comes from the Lee family. It is from 1970 starting on Yorkshire (taken on the same day as the original photo in this thread - I know someone who'll like it!), going on to TT where Grant races it. It is a real "man builds bike, man races bike" film:

http://www.youtube.c...u/0/JJ07e_8iurwEarly footage of Mick Grant. Many thanks to Ben for the DVD. Whilst on the subject of Jim has anyone got any pics of the watercooled Greeves my dad and Jim converted for Reg Orpin. Ben, have you noticed the Thorne clan ? Chris

Saw Mick today, didn't realise it was his birthday. Anyway sending him a DVD with the footage shot by Jim Lee on TR2B etc. Thanks to Ben for the original copy on DVD Mick was kind enough to sign a book for Dad who helped him so much in the early days. By the way he looked pretty good out on track today as did Steve Baker, Croz and to my surprise Sammy Miller. Caught a bit of sunburn too

Indeed, a small crowd of us at the hairpin were very impressed by how much those four were really going for it. Also one of the naked sidecar outfits pulling wheelies on the way out

Nice to see the V4 250 Yam getting a gallop via Mr Read too.

Don't yer think the commentator was an arse, talking rather loud to some bod from a French tyre company whilst Mooneyes and Ago had done two laps, also talking shite for two laps before realising star man King Kenny was out there.